Family Pictures

Family-Session-(2-of-29)

The last time we took professional family pictures feels like only a year or two ago, but when I did the mental math, it turns out to have been three years, back when I was getting author photo shots as we were prepping for the release of Vodnik. Back in March, we won a photo shoot through a school fundraiser. At the time, we asked the photographer (Jaime Lynn) if we couldn’t postpone the shoot until fall, when we thought the colors would be better.

Well, it’s fall, and the colors were better, so it was time for the pictures.

I have to say going into it that I wasn’t really expecting a whole lot. This was a free photo session, after all. We met at a local apple orchard, and I figured we’d have a couple of poses and be on our merry way in about 15-20 minutes. Imagine my surprise when we ended up getting a slew of poses and over an hour’ worth of work. Big kudos to Jaime for her generosity with that donation. Not only did she do all of that, but she sent us an edited CD with 29 different shots on it and full rights to print any of them that we wanted. No watermarks. No gimmicks. Just great photographs.

I’m finicky with my photos. A lot of the ones I see posted online are ones I’m not crazy about. (Don’t worry. I absolutely adored the ones of your family that you posted the other day. I’m talking about everyone else’s.) Family pictures don’t have to be awkward to be ugly. Too often I see a picture and think it looks stilted or unnatural, or think I could have taken the same picture if I had a fancy camera. (Note: I realize I probably couldn’t, and that photography is an art form just like writing.) My point is that there’s a big difference between pictures, good pictures, and great pictures. I was hoping to get family pictures out of this free deal. On a good day, I hoped they’d be good.

I never thought they’d be great.

And yet they really turned out fantastically. (I may be a bit biased, considering the subject matter, but still.) Jaime was able to keep the kids entertained, and she somehow magically turned my children into children who actually seem like they enjoy getting their pictures taken–even TRC. I have no idea how she did this, and I’m not convinced it didn’t involve witchcraft, but I’m also not complaining. She was definitely a pleasure to work with. Polite, fun, clear, and–most important–really able to come up with a great end product.

In other words, if any of you locals out there are looking for a photographer, might I heartily recommend Jamie Lynn Photography?

And without further ado, here are some of the other pics taken that day. Thanks, Jaime!

Family-Session-(25-of-29) Family-Session-(22-of-29) Family-Session-(16-of-29) Family-Session-(8-of-29) Family-Session-(12-of-29)

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